Hello, I am Shelley Quinn.
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Have you ever thought
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that your loving heavenly father
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might have something personal
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He would like to share with you.
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Please join us today on
"Pressing in to His Presence"
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as we consider
with whom God speaks.
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Welcome to
"Pressing in to His Presence."
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On our last two
programs we have considered
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10 manners in
which God has spoken
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to mankind throughout scripture,
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and here's what we have learnt.
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Godhead speaks to us
primarily through scripture.
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He has spoken to us
through His prophets
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and His Son Jesus Christ,
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through appearance
of angels, creations
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and creatures,
through answered prayers,
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science and circumstances,
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through visions, dreams,
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the audible voice which is rare,
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and a still small
voice of the Holy Spirit.
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Now today, we will
examine scripture to see
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just exactly what type of person
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God wants to speak to?
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Could it be you?
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If you are following along
in the program companion book
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also titled
Pressing Into His Presence.
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Today we begin on Chapter 11.
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Should Christians of this era
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expect God to speak with them?
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I believe scripture
supports a resounding yes.
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And we find our
answer in Malachi 3:6
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because God declares
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"I am the Lord,
I do not change."
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And in Hebrews
13:8 Jesus said that
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"He is same
yesterday, today and forever."
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The experience of
Christians around the world
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testifies to the fact
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that are loving heavenly
Father still communicates
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in an intimate
manner with His children.
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Off course the word of
God is the primary manner
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in which the Lord
communicates with us.
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It's good to
make scripture reading
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a part of your prayer time.
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So that prayer becomes
a two way conversation.
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And I also believe
that God would impress
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His thoughts upon our heart
by the power of His Holy Spirit
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just as He did with so
many ordinary disciples
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in the New Testament.
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If we would just
learn how to train our ears
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to receive His loving words
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of encouragement,
instruction and discipline.
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You know, Jesus
said in Mark 4:24.
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"Take heed what you hear.
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With the same measure you use,
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it will be measured to you,
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and to you who
hear, more will be given."
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As we press into
His presence in prayer.
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Let us do it
with reverence and awe
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and a heart just
filled with expectation.
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Increase the
measure of your expectations
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because the measure you use
will be measured back to you.
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Before God taught me to
press into His presence,
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I confess that I only heard
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that still small
voice on rare occasions.
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I remember that first
morning in September 1999
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when I was trying to
learn how to pray for an hour
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and I was sitting at my computer
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journaling my prayer.
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And I became completely absorbed
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in earnest prayers to
the one who loves me most.
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Finally giving myself permission
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to glance at the
clock that I had covered
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so I wouldn't check on it.
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I was surprised to see I'd spent
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over two hours
talking to the Lord.
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The deep intimacy
of that prayer session
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delighted my soul.
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So satisfied I typed the
words in Jesus' name, amen.
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And as soon as I
added the exclamation point,
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the Lord added one of His own.
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He impressed upon my heart
the very words of Psalms 46:10.
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"Be still, and
know that I am God."
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This was to be a major
turning point in my life,
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stunned by His
unexpected command,
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I stood at a crossroads
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and I try to trust
God's continued leading.
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Was this really
the voice of the Lord
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or merely my own
subconscious thought?
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Doubt was revolving in my mind
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and it ruined any
attempt to be still.
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And I said, "Oh, Lord,
is this you or is this me."
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Unfamiliar thoughts
were impressed upon me
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and frantically I
questioned again and again,
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desperately wanting
to identify the source
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breaking through the silence.
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His next thought came
to my mind and he said,
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"I will teach you
to quit interrupting
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in a spiritual realm as
well as in the physical realm.
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Write what I speak to you
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that you may take
note of it often."
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And in hindsight
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I see that the
Lord's sense of humor
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was in that remark
because never before
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had I acknowledged
my very irritating habit
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of interrupting
others as they spoke
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until God
pointed out my problem.
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I believed it was the
still small voice of the Lord.
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He had my attention and
he was about to teach me
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that prayer can be a
two way communication.
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Listening for God's
gentle whisper during prayer
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was a novel idea to me.
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I think perhaps it
could be to you as well.
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For this reason, we
reviewed the many ways
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that God communicates
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with the human
family in previous programs.
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Is He looking for the
people who will listen today?
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Why would the
Lord want to impress
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His thoughts upon our minds
by the power of His Spirit?
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As we delve
deeper into this topic,
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we will let scripture
guide us to the answers.
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If we are to entertain
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this means of
divine communication,
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it is vitally important
to know it is God's will.
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Equally important,
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we must learn to
recognize His voice
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to protect ourselves
from following another.
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First let's look
at who might expect
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to hear from God.
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And at the conclusion
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of our brief
review of scripture,
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I'll share my
personal experience
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of being still before God
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and how life
changing it proved to be.
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So with whom does God speak?
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We have already considered
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the many ways God communicates
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with those He
calls to be prophets,
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one of which is to cause them
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to hear his voice.
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Now when God promised
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to pour out His
Spirit on all flesh.
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One of His stated
purposes was to empower
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his sons and
daughters to prophesy,
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to speak forth his council
with regard to the future,
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the present or even the past.
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Not all prophecies are
predictions of the future.
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God speaks through His prophets
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to give words of instruction,
correction, encouragement,
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edification, building up,
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in other words of
the saints and comfort.
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He told the Prophet
Isaiah in Isaiah 51:16,
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"I have put my
words in your mouth
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and have covered you
with the shadow of my hand."
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Whether prophets,
kings, disciples or apostles,
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all the writers of the
Bible also heard God's voice
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with spiritual
ears if not literally.
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Every scripture is God breathe
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given by
inspiration of the Lord.
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God put the words of His
mouth into His servant's hearts
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by the power of His Spirit.
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tells us
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that "His secret
counsel is with the upright."
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So it's not just
prophets but with the upright.
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As a rhetorical
question the Lord asked,
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shall I hide from
Abraham what I am doing.
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We know from the record
that God shared His counsel
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about Sodom and
Gomorrah with upright Abraham.
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Off course when we consider
God speaking to Abraham,
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some of us think
of one alarming event
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and we shutter.
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That story is found
in Genesis Chapter 22.
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Why would God ask Abraham
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to sacrifice Isaac
his son of promise,
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his seed through whom
the covenants to make him
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a father of many
nation would be fulfilled.
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Did Abraham
agonize over his decision
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to obey the Lord's voice?
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Did he think it was a
cruel test of his fate?
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You know, I used to believe so
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but now I understand
it as little differently.
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Jesus told to the
Jews in John 8 in verse 56,
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He said your father
Abraham rejoiced to see my day.
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He saw it and he was glad.
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My personal
belief is that Genesis 15
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records the time
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that Abraham saw
Christ day in vision
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and was comforted.
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There in Genesis 15
is the account of God
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passing through
the animal sacrifices
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as the Lord cut
covenant with Abraham.
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And Abraham had
assurance of God's Calvary plan
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because he saw Christ day.
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He became so
familiar with God's voice
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that when he was
tested to offer up Isaac.
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The Bible says
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that he went forth
in faith concluding
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that God was
able to raise Isaac up
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even from the dead.
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Abraham had seen Christ day
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and he knew God's son
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would be set not only sacrificed
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but resurrected again.
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He trusted God to
do the same with Isaac.
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God also takes us
into His confidence
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if those who are obedient
to His will and His word.
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The Holy Spirit is within us
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and leads the
children of God by his counsel.
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He opens our ears to hear
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as one who is
taught by the Lord.
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God also speaks
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to those He is trying
to turn away from sin.
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In a previous program
we took note of Balaam
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who was rebuked for his inequity
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by a dumb donkey
that God used to speak
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with a man's voice
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which restrained the
madness of the prophet.
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And then there
was Saul of Tarsus
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who breathing murderous
threats against Christians
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was knocked to the ground
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when a light from
heaven flash around him
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and he heard the
voice of the Lord.
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Hebrews 3:7-8 says this.
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"Therefore, as
the Holy Spirit says:
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"Today, if you
will hear His voice,
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do not harden your hearts."
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Years ago I met an old farmer
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who after 30 years
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still tells his
testimony with tears.
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One moonless
night he was home alone
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in on a drinking binge
and sometime after midnight
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in a blind stupor he
stumbled into the fields
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and passed out falling
face down into a trench
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that had several
inches of accumulated rain.
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Unconscious he laid
there with his face buried
00:12:01.20\00:12:04.95
in the mud under the water.
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No one knew, no one but God.
00:12:07.87\00:12:11.55
A loud voice roused him
commanding him to wake up.
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The voice told of
his love for this farmer
00:12:17.45\00:12:20.67
and urged him to
repent and mend his ways
00:12:20.70\00:12:23.29
that he might receive
a chance at eternal life.
00:12:23.32\00:12:28.05
The farmer had no doubt
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that it was
God's voice he heard.
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Yielding his heart
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and control of
his life to the Lord,
00:12:33.62\00:12:35.84
he eventually
became an active elder
00:12:35.87\00:12:39.25
in the church.
00:12:39.28\00:12:42.04
the story is told
00:12:42.07\00:12:49.02
how the Lord came and stood
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and called
saying Samuel, Samuel.
00:12:51.64\00:12:55.33
Then Samuel answered,
00:12:55.36\00:12:56.97
speak Lord for your
servant is listening.
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Here we see that
God also speaks to those
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whom he has
chosen for special work.
00:13:03.37\00:13:06.45
Young Samuel gave
God his full attention
00:13:06.48\00:13:08.48
and permission to
speak into his heart
00:13:08.51\00:13:11.17
and he became a
mighty prophet of the Lord.
00:13:11.20\00:13:14.37
Moses heard the
voice of the Lord
00:13:14.40\00:13:16.04
from a burning bush.
00:13:16.07\00:13:17.81
Abraham answered
the call of the Lord
00:13:17.84\00:13:20.38
and heard often
the voice of God.
00:13:20.41\00:13:24.24
Sometimes the special work
that God has chosen us to do
00:13:24.27\00:13:29.27
is not what we expect
00:13:29.30\00:13:30.75
as I learned in
December of 1996.
00:13:30.78\00:13:34.55
You know my husband J.D and I
00:13:34.58\00:13:37.23
have always enjoyed
buying gifts for family
00:13:37.26\00:13:39.67
and friends
particularly at Christmas
00:13:39.70\00:13:42.35
when we leave no
one off our gift list,
00:13:42.38\00:13:45.39
but still
staggering under the weight
00:13:45.42\00:13:47.02
of the business
debt, that we had inherited
00:13:47.05\00:13:51.09
from our prince
business partner, our famous,
00:13:51.12\00:13:54.97
infamous I should say
Middle Eastern partner.
00:13:55.00\00:13:58.01
I had been swirling
away coins in a cane
00:13:58.04\00:14:01.93
for months to
accomplish our holiday shopping.
00:14:01.96\00:14:05.27
Cashing them in
I was disappointed
00:14:05.30\00:14:07.11
that my stash only
amounted to about $200,
00:14:07.14\00:14:10.81
it was 200 almost even.
00:14:10.84\00:14:13.56
So one Wednesday evening I
returned home from speaking
00:14:13.59\00:14:18.08
at as a guest
speaker at a Baptist church.
00:14:18.11\00:14:21.28
And although I had
spoken there before,
00:14:21.31\00:14:23.94
I didn't know the
members all that well.
00:14:23.97\00:14:26.29
Before I settled
in for the night,
00:14:26.32\00:14:28.24
the Lord impressed me
to take money to a couple
00:14:28.27\00:14:32.25
who had been
absent from attendance
00:14:32.28\00:14:34.44
during that mid week service.
00:14:34.47\00:14:37.04
I said yes,
father so I rig hard,
00:14:37.07\00:14:39.86
I said how much
shall I give them.
00:14:39.89\00:14:42.34
There was no answer.
00:14:42.37\00:14:44.19
Turning this over in my mind
00:14:44.22\00:14:45.58
I approached the
Lord with various amounts.
00:14:45.61\00:14:47.78
Well, should it
be 25, 50, a 100.
00:14:47.81\00:14:51.85
I was feeling somewhat anxious
00:14:51.88\00:14:54.40
and what he impressed
upon my mind was this.
00:14:54.43\00:14:58.48
All of it, give
them all you have saved,
00:14:58.51\00:15:01.88
all that you have saved.
00:15:01.91\00:15:05.25
Well, I sighed
and I said yes, Lord,
00:15:05.28\00:15:07.67
I'll take it to them tomorrow.
00:15:07.70\00:15:09.45
Then this thought rang
loud and clear in my mind.
00:15:09.48\00:15:13.22
Now child, take it
tonight. It was after 9 o'clock.
00:15:13.25\00:15:17.19
I had no idea where they lived.
00:15:17.22\00:15:19.23
They didn't have a phone,
00:15:19.26\00:15:20.69
so I had to call
several people from their church
00:15:20.72\00:15:22.87
until I found someone
00:15:22.90\00:15:23.93
who could provide their address.
00:15:23.96\00:15:25.92
And in hour later I
arrived at their home
00:15:25.95\00:15:28.99
and the husband
answered my knock at the door
00:15:29.02\00:15:31.94
standing outside there
in the freezing weather,
00:15:31.97\00:15:34.84
I just thrust into
his hands an envelope
00:15:34.87\00:15:38.51
on which I had
marked a gift from the Lord.
00:15:38.54\00:15:42.01
I said God told me to
bring this to you tonight.
00:15:42.04\00:15:45.30
Don't thank me, thank him.
00:15:45.33\00:15:47.92
And then learning
that his wife Cathy
00:15:47.95\00:15:49.60
and their children
were ill with the flu,
00:15:49.63\00:15:51.99
I said a quick
prayer and I departed.
00:15:52.02\00:15:54.61
There was joy in my
heart because I knew I heard
00:15:54.64\00:15:57.01
from the Lord
because I can tell you
00:15:57.04\00:15:58.92
it certainly wasn't my idea,
but I had heard and obeyed.
00:15:58.95\00:16:03.30
So on the following Sunday,
00:16:03.33\00:16:04.76
I was ministering at
that same church again.
00:16:04.79\00:16:07.59
Cathy's husband approached
me to express his appreciation
00:16:07.62\00:16:10.78
and he said, "Boy was I
excited to get that $200."
00:16:10.81\00:16:14.94
I told Cathy we could
finally install cable TV.
00:16:14.97\00:16:19.57
Well, the joy of obedience
00:16:19.60\00:16:21.87
drained
momentarily from my heart.
00:16:21.90\00:16:24.13
Did God direct me to
forfeit our Christmas fund
00:16:24.16\00:16:27.04
for such nonsense,
00:16:27.07\00:16:29.29
but then the husband
shared the rest of the story.
00:16:29.32\00:16:32.26
The family had
awakened the next morning
00:16:32.29\00:16:34.63
just after I delivered the money
00:16:34.66\00:16:37.18
to discover that
their electricity
00:16:37.21\00:16:38.93
had been disconnected.
00:16:38.96\00:16:40.77
It seems that they had
00:16:40.80\00:16:41.83
a very haphazard
bill paying habit.
00:16:41.86\00:16:44.42
And they were poor
and without realizing it
00:16:44.45\00:16:47.50
they had fallen three
months behind on their payment
00:16:47.53\00:16:50.85
and although the
weather was bitterly cold,
00:16:50.88\00:16:54.23
the electric company
refused to restore power
00:16:54.26\00:16:57.09
until the amount
due was paid in full,
00:16:57.12\00:16:59.83
all $219 and 20 cents of it.
00:16:59.86\00:17:04.28
So borrowing a neighbor's phone
00:17:04.31\00:17:05.89
Cathy pleaded with the
service representative.
00:17:05.92\00:17:08.79
She now had 200
the gift from the Lord,
00:17:08.82\00:17:11.88
surely they would carry
the balance for a few weeks
00:17:11.91\00:17:15.23
but her efforts were in vain.
00:17:15.26\00:17:17.05
No other option was given
other than payment in full.
00:17:17.08\00:17:22.07
And hoping to play
on their sympathies,
00:17:22.10\00:17:24.61
she bundled her sick
children and hopped into the car
00:17:24.64\00:17:28.38
heading for the downtown office.
00:17:28.41\00:17:30.99
As she pulled
out of her driveway,
00:17:31.02\00:17:33.31
a non Christian
neighbor crossed the street
00:17:33.34\00:17:36.74
and flagged her down
and Cathy thought now what,
00:17:36.77\00:17:41.23
she never even speaks to us.
00:17:41.26\00:17:43.30
What's her problem today?
00:17:43.33\00:17:45.52
The neighbor
rather angrily snorted.
00:17:45.55\00:17:48.85
I don't have any
idea why I am doing this
00:17:48.88\00:17:51.19
but for some reason I know
I'm supposed to give you this.
00:17:51.22\00:17:54.23
And tossing something
through the car window,
00:17:54.26\00:17:56.93
she abruptly
turned and walked away.
00:17:56.96\00:17:59.84
Well, a startled
Cathy looked at her lap
00:17:59.87\00:18:02.84
to see what had landed there,
00:18:02.87\00:18:05.46
it was a $20 bill.
00:18:05.49\00:18:08.89
What a testimony?
00:18:08.92\00:18:10.35
She was able to share
00:18:10.38\00:18:11.69
with the electric
company's employees
00:18:11.72\00:18:13.98
and she paid her bill in full
00:18:14.01\00:18:16.88
and held her hand out
for 80 cents in change.
00:18:16.91\00:18:21.19
God had spoken to two
somewhat reluctant hearts,
00:18:21.22\00:18:25.61
one who recognized his voice
00:18:25.64\00:18:27.87
and one who didn't.
00:18:27.90\00:18:29.59
Calling them to
do a special work
00:18:29.62\00:18:32.32
to keep a poor sick
family from freezing.
00:18:32.35\00:18:37.16
You know when God chose
Ananias for a special work,
00:18:37.19\00:18:41.16
he gave him these
words for Saul of Tarsus
00:18:41.19\00:18:45.09
that are recorded in
Acts 22:14 which says,
00:18:45.12\00:18:50.73
"The God of our
fathers has chosen you,
00:18:50.76\00:18:53.86
that you should know his
will, and see that Just One,
00:18:53.89\00:18:58.19
and hear the
voice of his mouth."
00:18:58.22\00:19:01.91
Here God's
telling a little known...
00:19:01.94\00:19:03.78
a little known
disciple who is Ananias,
00:19:05.91\00:19:09.05
but he's saying tell Paul
00:19:09.08\00:19:11.65
you'll hear the
voice of his mouth.
00:19:11.68\00:19:14.56
You know Saul was
well schooled in scripture.
00:19:14.59\00:19:17.24
He was the
member of the Pharisees.
00:19:17.27\00:19:18.73
He was a student of Gamaliel
00:19:18.76\00:19:20.55
who was a leading
rabbinical teacher of the time,
00:19:20.58\00:19:23.93
but still he
seriously was misdirected.
00:19:23.96\00:19:29.33
And he was determined to
destroy the Christian faith.
00:19:29.36\00:19:32.83
But after his conversion,
00:19:32.86\00:19:34.96
Saul who became
Paul did not consult
00:19:34.99\00:19:38.58
with any other leaders of
the early Christian church
00:19:38.61\00:19:42.20
but he went into
Arabia for three years
00:19:42.23\00:19:45.42
where he received
divine revelation from the Lord
00:19:45.45\00:19:48.78
and he preached the
gospel to the Gentiles.
00:19:48.81\00:19:52.20
Our good shepherd
Jesus declared his followers
00:19:52.23\00:19:57.36
would know and recognize him.
00:19:57.39\00:20:01.71
He says in John 18:37.
00:20:01.74\00:20:06.00
"Everyone who is of
the truth hears My voice."
00:20:06.03\00:20:12.64
And again in John 10:27
00:20:12.67\00:20:16.53
he says "The
sheep that are My own
00:20:16.56\00:20:19.19
and are listening to My voice,
00:20:19.22\00:20:21.73
and I know them,
and they follow Me."
00:20:21.76\00:20:25.48
In comparing
himself to a shepherd,
00:20:25.51\00:20:28.58
he emphatically
stated the sheep,
00:20:28.61\00:20:32.13
his sheep would know his
voice and follow him only,
00:20:32.16\00:20:36.67
fleeing from the
voice of strangers.
00:20:36.70\00:20:39.84
As followers of Christ,
00:20:39.87\00:20:41.88
we become familiar
with his voice, how?
00:20:41.91\00:20:45.71
By studying the scriptures.
00:20:45.74\00:20:47.95
Any voice that speaks contrary
00:20:47.98\00:20:50.14
to God's written
word will alarm us
00:20:50.17\00:20:53.21
and send us scurrying
in the opposite direction.
00:20:53.24\00:20:56.94
The Bible tells that God rewards
00:20:56.97\00:21:00.84
those who earnestly seek Him.
00:21:00.87\00:21:04.11
People like King David,
00:21:04.14\00:21:06.58
like Elijah who
ask and keep on asking,
00:21:06.61\00:21:09.86
who seek and keep on seeking,
who knock and keep on knocking.
00:21:09.89\00:21:14.17
People who
perceive that God has a plan
00:21:14.20\00:21:17.29
for their lives, a good plan
00:21:17.32\00:21:19.58
and they persevere in prayer,
00:21:19.61\00:21:21.77
seeking him with
all of their hearts.
00:21:21.80\00:21:25.03
Isaiah was such a man as this.
00:21:25.06\00:21:28.28
He saw God's face
pressing into His presence,
00:21:28.31\00:21:33.38
pressing into actually
the most holy place in heaven
00:21:33.41\00:21:37.98
where God was sitting
on His throne of grace.
00:21:38.01\00:21:42.24
He says in Isaiah Chapter 6
00:21:42.27\00:21:45.83
and we're going to look
at verses 1 and verses 5-8.
00:21:45.86\00:21:50.51
"In the year
that King Uzziah died,
00:21:50.54\00:21:53.20
I saw the Lord,
sitting on a throne,
00:21:53.23\00:21:55.92
high and lifted up,
00:21:55.95\00:21:57.48
and the train of his
robe filled the temple.
00:21:57.51\00:21:59.97
So I said: "Woe is
me, for I am undone!
00:22:00.00\00:22:04.58
Because I am a
man of unclean lips,
00:22:04.61\00:22:06.53
and I dwell in the midst
of a people of unclean lips,
00:22:06.56\00:22:09.75
for my eyes have seen
the King, the Lord of hosts.
00:22:09.78\00:22:13.87
Then one of the
seraphim flew to me,
00:22:13.90\00:22:16.45
having in his hand a live coal
00:22:16.48\00:22:18.40
which he had taken with
the tongs from the altar.
00:22:18.43\00:22:21.22
And he touched my
mouth with it, and said:
00:22:21.25\00:22:24.18
"Behold, this has
touched your lips,
00:22:24.21\00:22:26.59
your iniquity is taken
away, and your sin purged."
00:22:26.62\00:22:30.14
Also I heard the
voice of the Lord, saying:
00:22:30.17\00:22:32.87
"Whom shall I send,
and who will go for Us?
00:22:32.90\00:22:36.98
Then I said,
"Here I am! Send me."
00:22:37.01\00:22:42.68
You know, I love
this verse, this passage
00:22:42.71\00:22:47.32
because it shows that
Isaiah had pressed in prayer
00:22:47.35\00:22:54.80
clear into the
throne room of God
00:22:54.83\00:22:57.68
into the most holy place
00:22:57.71\00:23:00.12
and that's what
we want him to do.
00:23:00.15\00:23:02.51
We want to learn
how to pray with God,
00:23:02.54\00:23:05.66
and how to make it
such an intimate prayer
00:23:05.69\00:23:08.88
that we are not
just seeking His hand
00:23:08.91\00:23:11.35
to answer our prayer,
00:23:11.38\00:23:13.88
but we are seeking
His face as Isaiah did.
00:23:13.91\00:23:18.07
And trust me when we
do, we'll feel like Isaiah.
00:23:18.10\00:23:22.05
We'll think Woe
is me. I am undone.
00:23:22.08\00:23:25.42
For we're all
people of unclean lips
00:23:25.45\00:23:28.02
according to the Lord is
not just a problem Isaiah had.
00:23:28.05\00:23:31.85
But God is searching,
00:23:31.88\00:23:34.89
He is searching to find a people
00:23:34.92\00:23:38.14
who will listen for His voice.
00:23:38.17\00:23:41.23
In 2 Chronicles 16:9
00:23:41.26\00:23:45.98
it says "That
the eyes of the Lord
00:23:46.01\00:23:49.14
run to and fro
throughout the whole earth,
00:23:49.17\00:23:53.82
to show Himself
strong on behalf of those
00:23:53.85\00:23:57.38
whose hearts are loyal to Him."
00:23:57.41\00:24:01.82
So let summarize what
we have studied thus far.
00:24:01.85\00:24:06.64
In this program
we have considered
00:24:09.33\00:24:11.35
the human classes of
people with whom God speaks.
00:24:11.38\00:24:16.87
We know He speaks with prophets,
00:24:16.90\00:24:19.42
but we also know He spoke
00:24:19.45\00:24:21.63
through the
authors of the Bible,
00:24:21.66\00:24:23.82
through those who were obedient
00:24:23.85\00:24:25.47
to His will and His word.
00:24:25.50\00:24:28.39
We saw that He speaks to those
00:24:28.42\00:24:31.01
He is trying to
turn away from sin,
00:24:31.04\00:24:33.87
to those whom He has
chosen for a special work
00:24:33.90\00:24:37.76
and He speaks to
his truth seeking sheep,
00:24:37.79\00:24:41.24
the followers of Christ,
those who earnestly seek him.
00:24:41.27\00:24:47.26
But now, for accuracy
00:24:47.29\00:24:50.43
I must cover two more all
inclusive classes of humans
00:24:50.46\00:24:56.30
who will hear the Lord's voice.
00:24:56.33\00:24:59.35
Those who are made
righteous by Christ
00:24:59.38\00:25:02.13
who will take part in
the first resurrection
00:25:02.16\00:25:05.67
and those who are
participators of the evil
00:25:05.70\00:25:09.17
who are reserved for
the second resurrection.
00:25:09.20\00:25:13.37
You know Jesus
said in John 5:28-29.
00:25:13.40\00:25:21.03
"Do not marvel at
this, for the hour is coming
00:25:21.06\00:25:25.32
in which all who
are in the graves
00:25:25.35\00:25:27.95
will hear His voice
and they will come forth.
00:25:27.98\00:25:31.19
Those who have done good,
to the resurrection of life,
00:25:31.22\00:25:35.40
and those who have done evil,
00:25:35.43\00:25:37.73
to the
resurrection of condemnation."
00:25:37.76\00:25:40.69
We are all going to
listen to His voice some time.
00:25:44.62\00:25:49.83
God has a
passion for His people.
00:25:49.86\00:25:53.00
And he has a
passion for the lost.
00:25:53.03\00:25:56.33
The desire of His heart
is to communicate His love,
00:25:56.36\00:26:01.07
His light, His
life and His power
00:26:01.10\00:26:04.08
to all who will listen
and except His counsel.
00:26:04.11\00:26:08.58
But some of us
like stubborn children
00:26:08.61\00:26:12.80
stick our fingers in our ears
00:26:12.83\00:26:15.96
and our tongues out at
God refusing to listen,
00:26:15.99\00:26:20.56
but the day will come
00:26:20.59\00:26:22.78
when they will hear His
voice from their graves.
00:26:22.81\00:26:26.69
Please take this
advice. Don't wait to listen.
00:26:26.72\00:26:31.80
Please don't wait to listen
00:26:31.83\00:26:33.71
for what God
wants to speak to you.
00:26:33.74\00:26:36.34
Learn how to
press into His presence
00:26:36.37\00:26:41.47
entering His
courts with Thanksgiving
00:26:41.50\00:26:44.70
and praise repenting before Him
00:26:44.73\00:26:47.64
so that you can have clean hands
00:26:47.67\00:26:49.36
and a pure heart and
He will hear your prayer.
00:26:49.39\00:26:52.67
Going before the Lord,
00:26:52.70\00:26:54.58
claiming His
promises, his affirmations,
00:26:54.61\00:26:57.55
praying His word back to Him,
00:26:57.58\00:27:00.16
interceding on behalf of others
00:27:00.19\00:27:02.87
which is this the
greatest training school
00:27:02.90\00:27:05.92
to become Christ like.
00:27:05.95\00:27:08.08
And as you intercede for others,
00:27:08.11\00:27:10.69
God would do a
work in your heart.
00:27:10.72\00:27:13.46
Then we come to that
point of supplication
00:27:13.49\00:27:17.07
when we're
praying for ourselves.
00:27:17.10\00:27:19.18
At that the most
important pursuit of the day
00:27:19.21\00:27:23.42
is to pray to be
filled with the Holy Spirit.
00:27:23.45\00:27:27.16
Before you ever leave the house,
00:27:27.19\00:27:29.42
pray that God
will help you to walk
00:27:29.45\00:27:31.92
in the power of surrender.
00:27:31.95\00:27:34.35
And then we--
00:27:34.38\00:27:36.80
after we've
been in supplication,
00:27:36.83\00:27:38.87
then we're pressing
forwards to be still
00:27:38.90\00:27:42.68
and know that the Lord is God.
00:27:42.71\00:27:44.83
Please join us
next time as we discuss
00:27:44.86\00:27:47.83
what the Lord wants us to hear.
00:27:47.86\00:27:51.05
Our prayer for
you as always is that
00:27:51.08\00:27:54.52
the grace of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ,
00:27:54.55\00:27:57.62
the love of the father
00:27:57.65\00:27:59.23
and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit
00:27:59.26\00:28:01.44
will be with you today
00:28:01.47\00:28:03.53
and everyday for
the rest of your lives.
00:28:03.56\00:28:06.52
Thank you.
00:28:06.55\00:28:07.82